mussels steamed in beer with blue cheese and homemade thick cut French

fries; wahoo with red quinoa risotto and lobster broth; Kurobuta

pork short ribs with balsamic-glazed Brussels sprouts and braising

juices; and a 16-ounce rib eye with fingerling potatoes and homemade

pineapple Worcestershire.

These

dishes read like a new American seafood restaurant, exactly what

Executive Chef Daniel Serfer has in mind for 15th Street Fisheries,

where he assumed the helm

on September 4. Testing these and other daily specials, Serfer is

giving the historic Fort Lauderdale Marina restaurant a thorough

dusting-of

f, developing a new menu that will debut in November and focus

on local

seafood and affordability. The chef arrives from a five-year stay at

Chef Allen's Modern Seafood Bistro in Aventura, where he was most

recently chef de cuisine.

"It was a huge part of my life," says Serfer. "Allen taught me so much. Each day that I'm not there, I realize more and more what I learned."

Attracted to 15th Street Fisheries for its rich, 32-year legacy on the marina, Serfer explains that the establishment was originally owned by late FIU hospitality professor Michael Hurst. The current proprietors are the family that has owned the marina for about 60 years.

"I'm really excited about this place," he says. "I feel a connection to it, like I do with Allen's. It's what attracted me to the opportunity. I grew up eating here with my parents. It's one of Fort Lauderdale's most-beloved restaurants."

The restaurant has a boathouse feel, with real nautical items and photos that the owners have collected over the years on the waterfront. Downstairs is casual, serving your typical seaside cafe items, like hamburgers, fried calamari, and Cuban sandwiches, while upstairs is more refined.

"Every single seat has an ocean view," says Serfer. "It's right on the water so people can park their boats. We have a giant tarpin school that comes up to the dock. We feed them fish trimmings."

And if Serfer has it his way, these feisty fishies are the only local seafood that won't have to worry about ending up on the new menu.